Cut Out Sets New Standard.

I guess I've been doing this all wrong. New plan. Gin up a cutout, have a clerk hand stamp it, then send it to the rev., who gets it to the APS for that sweet cert.

Few questions:
How does the clerk not see the cutouts when he gives it (five) handstamps?

How does it get through the sorter with the bar tag at right cut off? (Maybe had part of it left in the trim)

Does the APS give a cert to whatever is sent & pays the fees?
From their webpage:
"It is easier to sell an item that has a certificate attesting to its genuineness".

I'm not saying the APS is wrong in the description, but the seller seems to be using the certs to really jack up the prices.

This seller has several other items with APS certs on what looks to be pretty ordinary items with high prices.

This truly seems to be a prime example of "Caveat Emptor": Let the buyer beware.

Maybe I'm missing something..... (don't think so)
pat

The seller is an idiot. Here is another gem that they are asking $100,000 for:



https://www.ebay.com/itm/174101018858

That Shield probably fell into the cat's litterbox.

He just may be as you describe, but two "Expert Committees" issued him certificates for him to flash on ebay.

I've only ever put in for one certificate. I always assumed there was some level of where the issuing organization would not want it's name associated, and just say no.
pat

The item is like Bela Sekula's creations, or the USPS's "upright" $2 Jenny in that it is something made purely to soak stamp collectors.

Why wouldn't the APS take the creator's money to make an accurate description of the item?

Nothing wrong with an expertizing group stating exactly what it is. That does not make it worth more then a dollar or two, but anyone can ask anything they want for an item. And I am sure that all the groups get far worse items then this regularly.

And the fact that someone chose to write something by hand on a cert does not mean that it is actually "updated". Anyone can write anything they want, also. It's still garbage.

Well it would certainly be a unique addition to a fake/forgery/counterfeit collection even as it was a cut out from a legit card. But NOT at anywhere near that price. The seller is either nuts or deluded into thinking something unique and certified make it worth a fortune. I'd give him a few bucks but that's it. I sent the seller a note to politely explain the facts of life. I'll let you know if they reply.

Such oddities are collectible and command some attention both when not caught as well as when caught. This applies to both cut out postal cards and PSE. Depending on the accompanying bell and whistles, the price does vary significantly from mostly a few or handful of dollars and well into three figures. What is important in these cases is the so called "in period" use of the cut out.

Here my question is what was the cancellation date on the cover as I can't discern it from the photo. The Cert is from 2020 but the 19 cent card period runs for UX183 et seq from the FD of 10-18-1994 until 12-31-1994 as the domestic card rate went to 20 cents 1-1-1995. That is a short 75 day "in period" for these cards.

Properly used simple in period cards are tough, tougher than the $3 catalog implies. The in period uncommon usages would be far more difficult and could attract a specialist. A 21st Century usage would not be worth the cost of the cert nor even the cost of round trip postage for the cert.